Build Your Own Compost Tumbler

Readers in Canada and the US who are not inclined towards DIY projects may be interested in the rolling composter Lee Valley sells. I spotted it on the web at http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=1&p=47098&cat=2,33140&ap=1

I'm not associated with Lee Valley, except as a customer.

Great work!!!!

I have built something similar. I used a steel 55 gallon drum and added a door and vents. Then I made a stand for it out of wood and added some fixed caster wheels for it to sit on. Makes it very easy to rotate the drum. The really slick maker types can even add a motor and timer to auto rotate it ever other day or so.

A smaller version could work for apartment types...

I can't find a drum for less than $50, although I haven't looked very hard.

What I'd really like would be a way to use a Savonius wind turbine to turn the drum. Maybe a ratchet and gear arrangement, so whenever the wind blows a bit, the drum will turn by a small increment, but won't demand constant wind. Wind in my location is very sporadic, and is often rather weak. At some times of year, it is very strong, but then is gone.

That urine tip was news to me, and I'm certainly not against taking a leak into my compost bin. I'm on Allegra for allergies though, does anybody know if certain meds are ok?

That urine tip was news to me, and I'm certainly not against taking a leak into my compost bin. I'm on Allegra for allergies though, does anybody know if certain meds are ok?

To find a blue 55 gal drum, try http://www.kijiji.com/ as they usually have a number of people selling them for $10-15 each. You can also check out a local food processor or the dump.

The rotating drum works well and produces compose very fast. You can also build a square box - sides only, and dump everything in the box. Remember to add a little water and turn it a couple times a week.

Note: you can even pile the compost material just on the ground. Run it over with a lawn mower to mulch it up, add water and turn with a shovel or fork - cost = $0.

This is cool, heck I've got an old beer keg, I think I'll start drilling some holes in it. Help Mother Nature replenish our tired soil.

Nice work. I did my own compost tumbler this summer and am loving it. I posted pics on how I did it at http://www.thegoodrumfamily.com/compost_tumbler if you're interested.

I'm wondering what can I do if I don't have lawn-mower? I live in a country where labor is cheap and plenty, for example, we have a gardener, and he cuts grass the old-fashioned way, using scissor-like grass cutter (I don't know how to call it, just explaining it the way I see it) For kitchen scraps, I guess I could ask that they'd be cut smaller (grounded-like)

Oh before I forget, I saw some composter bins that have some kind of tap at the bottom of the drum, if you open the tap, some kind of "compost juice" will come out. Not really sure what the use of that. Can anyone be kind enough to explain? Thanks ^.^